David's Daily Dish: Start off your Memorial Day bash with a bang with Lucy Buffett's own LA Caviar

Lucy Buffett's recipe for her own LA Caviar is a great way to kick off your Memorial Day party with a bang. The slightly sweet, slightly tangy blend of seasonings makes a great appetizer. (File photo) Bill Starling

If you are a student of the calendar, then summer doesn't officially begin until June 21 and it doesn't conclude until around Sept. 21.

But aside from a few statisticians and weathermen, nobody of any consequence really subscribes to that theory. Summer, especially in these parts, really kicks off this coming Monday.

Memorial Day is the unofficial official commencement of the summer season. It has evolved to a day when backyard entertaining and outdoor endeavors are encouraged.

Compared to other traditional family holidays, readying for the upcoming long holiday weekend is a pleasure. The drama level is much lower (no turkeys to thaw or gifts to buy) and menu planning is a snap.

What, you ask, makes it such a snap? Because you don't need to reinvent the wheel in order to have a very successful, very fun Memorial Day outing.

In devising a memorable Memorial Day menu, I think simplicity is the best course of action. No sense trying to make things too complicated or intricate; just make sure you have plenty of food and the rest will take care of itself.

Burgers and hot dogs are always a hit with the younger (and older) set. And you can't go wrong with a nicely bronzed rack of baby back ribs that have been cooking for a couple of hours over a low, slow fire.

Shoot, I would even be delighted to show up at a party and have somebody serve an excellent meat loaf with gravy over rice. It's all a matter of perspective.

So you see there are a number of things that you can do to serve your guests for the long Memorial Day weekend.

But there is one item that I dearly love that falls somewhere in the realm of appetizer or pre-meal nibble or however you wish to label it. It is the perfect taster for any occasion, but is even more ideally suited for this first backyard bash of the season.

It also helps that making it is very, very easy. It takes a bit of planning, but you have three days to think about it so what else do you have to do?

There are a number of versions of this tasty Deep South favorite floating about with a number of different names. But this one is by far my favorite. It also helps that it comes from a friend and Coastal Alabama character – Lucy Buffett.

I first encountered this dish back in 1999 at her tiny waterside eatery perched on the banks of the Fish River at the mouth of Week's Bay.

It is from her fantastic cookbook, "Crazy Sista Cooking: Cuisine and Conversation with Lucy Anne Buffett." Her recipe calls for serving with chips or saltines, but for my money saltines are the only way to go.

L.A. Caviar

20-25 servings

Ingredients:

¾ cup balsamic vinegar

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

4 (15-ounce) cans black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 cup chopped yellow bell pepper

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 cup chopped red onion

1½ cups cherry tomatoes, quartered

1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

Combine all dressing ingredients in a jar; cover tightly and shake vigorously to dissolve sugar. Set aside.

Place peas in a large glass or stainless steel bowl.

Add all bell peppers, onions, tomatoes and parsley. Pour dressing over top and toss well. Transfer to a plastic container, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.